Email Address:
isen@southalabama.edu
Phone Number:
(251) 460-7153
Office Hours:
Mon 2-4pm; Wed 1-5pm
CV

Joshua Isen, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor

Department of Psychology

Education

Ph.D. University of Southern California, Los Angeles; 2010-Psychology
M.A. University of Southern California, Los Angeles; 2007-Psychology
B.A. University of California, Berkeley; 2003-Psychology

Research Interests

Normal adolescent development and rule-breaking behavior
Behavioral genetics
Individual differences in social attitudes and pubertal growth

My research focuses on the relationship between normal adolescent development and rule-breaking behavior. To this end, I examine how individual differences in social attitudes and pubertal growth translate into risk for aggressive/delinquent behaviors. I view the adolescent increase in sensation-seeking and social nonconformity as a kind of double-edged sword, as it promotes the emerging adult’s independence but also contributes to substance abuse and other negative outcomes. I am a behavioral geneticist by training, and seek to understand the genetic and environmental bases of these associations

Publications

Jackson, N., Isen, J., Khoddam, R., Irons, D., Tuvblad, C., Iacono, W., McGue, M., Raine, A., & Baker, L. (2016). The impact of adolescent marijuana use on intelligence: Results from two longitudinal twin studies. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Vink, J., Stringer, S., Minica, C., Verweij, K., Mbarek, H., Derringer, J., Van Eijk, K., Isen, J., . . . Derks, E. (2016). Genome wide association study of lifetime cannabis use based on a large meta-analytic sample of 32,330 subjects from the International Cannabis Consortium. Translational Psychiatry.
Isen, J., McGue, M., & Iacono, W. (2015). Aggressive-antisocial boys develop into physically strong young men. Psychological Science, 26(4), 444-455.
Wang, P., Gao, Y., Isen, J., Tuvblad, C., Raine, A., & Baker, L. (2015). Genetic covariance between psychopathic traits and anticipatory skin conductance responses to threat: Evidence for a potential endophenotype. Development and Psychopathology, 27(4), 1313- 1322.
Vaidyanathan, U., Isen, J., Malone, S., Miller, M., McGue, M., & Iacono, W. (2014). Heritability and molecular genetic basis of electrodermal activity: A genome-wide association study. Psychophysiology, 51(12), 1259-1271.
Isen, J., Sparks, J., & Iacono, W. (2014). Predictive validity of delay discounting behavior in adolescence: A longitudinal twin study. Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology, 22(5), 434-443.
Isen, J., McGue, M., & Iacono, W.(2014). Genetic influences on the development of grip strength in adolescence. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 154(2), 189-200.
Sparks, J., Isen, J., & Iacono, W. (2014). Preference on cash-choice task predicts externalizing outcomes in 17-year-olds. Behavior Genetics, 44(2), 102-112.
Isen, J., Iacono, W., & Malone, S. (2013). Characterizing electrodermal response habituation: A latent class approach with application to psychopathology. Psychophysiology, 50(10), 954-962.
Isen, J., Iacono, W., Malone, S., &McGue, M. (2012). Examining electrodermal hyporeactivity as a marker of externalizing psychopathology: a twin study. Psychophysiology, 49(8), 1039-1048.
Isen, J., & Iacono, W. (2012). Electrodermal response. In McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science & Technology, 11th edition, Volume 6. McGraw-Hill Education: New York.
Tuvblad, C., Gao, Y., Isen, J., Botwick, T., Raine, A., & Baker, L. (2012). The heritability of the skin conductance orienting response: a longitudinal twin study. Biological Psychology, 89(1), 47-53.
Isen, J. (2010). Meta-analytic assessment of Wechsler’s P>V sign in antisocial populations. Clinical Psychology Review, 30(4), 423-435.
Isen, J., Raine, A., Baker, L., Dawson, M., Bezdjian, S., & Lozano, D.I. (2010). Sex-specific association between psychopathic traits and electrodermal reactivity in children. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 119(1), 216-225.
Tuvblad, C., Isen, J., Baker, L., Raine, A., Lozano, D., & Jacobson, K. (2010). The genetic and environmental etiology of sympathetic and parasympathetic activity in children. Behavior Genetics, 40(4), 452-466.
Isen, J., Baker, L., Raine, A., &Bezdjian, S. (2009). Genetic and environmental influences on the Junior Temperament & Character Inventory in a preadolescent twin sample. Behavior Genetics, 39(1), 36-47.
Isen, J. & Baker, L. (2008). Genetic disorders: sex-linked. In M.M. Haith & J.B. Benson (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Infant and Early Childhood Development (pp. 13-19). Oxford: Academic Press.